Tablets

The New Year’s sales are still in full swing on several retail sites, and those looking for a new tablet for the new year can head over to Walmart to check the latest deals. That is, provided, that you’re willing to purchase an older device, as the retailer has some specials on 2012’s top-selling tablets, specifically the Nexus 7 (2012) and the original iPad mini.

The Nexus 7 (2012), as it is known officially these days, was a game-changer of sorts in the tablet market, being a lower-priced, more bare-bones tablet that sold quite well in a market then dominated by the full-size iPad. Originally priced at $199, the Nexus 7 (2012) is now selling for $159, a savings of $40, or 20 percent off the full retail price.

Its specs – a 7-inch, 1280 x 800 display, a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, Android Jelly Bean out of the box – were considered quite good at the time of release, though buyers have to remember that the Nexus 7 (2012) only includes a front camera for video calls, but no rear camera for quality photos.

As for the iPad mini, this tablet was Apple’s first “midrange” tablet, a device with a smaller screen and lower-end specs than the iPad, and despite costing significantly more than the Nexus 7 and not including Retina Display, the iPad mini sold well enough to inspire a follow-up in the form of the iPad mini with Retina Display. It’s the original iPad mini that’s on sale at Walmart, with a price tag of $299, or $30 less than the list price of $329.

The original iPad mini’s specs include a 7.9-inch, 1024 x 768 display, an A5 processor, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and support for Apple’s newest mobile platform, iOS 7. Also listed on Walmart’s tablet deals page is the iPad 4, which is priced at $499, but the tablet is still selling at full retail, and not a discounted holiday price.

Walmart also has a variety of budget tablets with lesser-known brand names on sale, as well as several tablets designed specifically for children. The HKC 7-inch Tablet is one of those budget tablets, and it’s selling for $59.99, or $40 off the regular price of $99.99. That would get you a 7-inch display, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 8 GB internal storage, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, Wi-Fi support, and a video call camera in front.

The Nextbook 7-inch Tablet is also listed at an extraordinarily cheap price, selling for $68 ($11 off the regular price of $79), and that slate includes a 7-inch touchscreen, a dual-core Cortex-A9 processor, 8 GB internal storage, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a front camera.

Moving on to the children’s tablets, the FunTab 7-inch Kids Tablet comes with more than 50 games and apps, as well as features for parents to control their kids’ device usage, such as Kid Safe Mode and a Kid Safe user interface that adapts to the child’s age and skill level. The device is priced at $10.99/12 percent off, or $79.99 as part of Walmart’s tablet deals.